Woman facing deportation moves into church

Woman facing deportation moves into church

Sep. 13, 2017

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman scheduled to be deported to Mexico has moved into a makeshift apartment inside a suburban Cleveland church that offered her sanctuary.

The Plain Dealer reports (http://bit.ly/2xxvgQ0 ) 42-year-old Lenora Garcia, of Akron, was supposed to be deported this week but immigration officials say they will not try to remove her from Forest Hill Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights.

Garcia has lived in the United States without documentation for more than 20 years and has four American-born children. Her husband was deported in 2011.

The pastor of the church said the decision to house Garcia was made after a discussion with the congregation. He says she has no criminal record and is involved in the community.